Premier League: United close on title, Sunderland win derby

LONDON – Manchester United took a step closer to the Premier League title with a 2-0 win at Stoke City on Sunday that saw them re-establish a 15-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.

Michael Carrick gave United an early lead and Robin van Persie completed victory by claiming his first club goal in 11 games from the penalty spot mid-way through the second half.

Victory allowed the leaders to return to winning ways after Monday’s loss in the Manchester derby, and although City have a game in hand, their hopes of a late United collapse appear forlorn.

“I have told the players that we are going to take the next six games as the start of the season and try to win them all,” said United manager Alex Ferguson.

“Would we fancy ourselves to win that league? I think we would.”

Stoke, meanwhile, find themselves in real danger of slipping into the relegation zone, having won just once in 13 league games in 2013.

Tony Pulis’ side currently sit three points above the relegation zone, but they have played two games more than third-bottom Wigan Athletic.

United, who played with Wayne Rooney in midfield, broke the deadlock in the fourth minute at a windswept Britannia Stadium.

Phil Jones met a right-wing corner from van Persie and with the ball bobbling around the area, Carrick stuck out his foot to toe it into the bottom-left corner.

In response, Robert Huth headed over for Stoke, while Rooney whipped a long-range free-kick narrowly wide shortly before half-time.

Van Persie ended his two-month wait for a United goal in the 66th minute, steering a penalty past Asmir Begovic after he had been felled inside the area by Andy Wilkinson.

The Dutchman celebrated by embracing Ferguson on the touchline, but only a brilliant David de Gea save to keep out a Charlie Adam free-kick spared United from an edgy finale.

“It was a big win, let me put it that way,” said van Persie, who has now scored 20 league goals this season.

“My goal came at an important point in the game, but the main thing today was to win. It was all about the win – I wouldn’t have cared who had scored the goal.”

Earlier, Sunderland won 3-0 at local rivals Newcastle United to fire their bid to avoid relegation and give Paolo Di Canio a memorable victory in his first northeast derby.

Stephane Sessegnon, Adam Johnson and David Vaughan scored three excellent goals, moving Sunderland three points clear of the bottom three and to within two points of Alan Pardew’s Newcastle.